


Sweet

by infiniteeight



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, almost a first date, depending on how you count, impromptu fluff fest, or an actual first date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-04
Updated: 2013-11-04
Packaged: 2017-12-31 11:24:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1031125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/infiniteeight/pseuds/infiniteeight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint figures Coulson can't possibly be single. Clint is wrong...but not for long.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sweet

**Author's Note:**

> Written really fast and not betaed (obviously). Please forgive errors.

He's been at SHIELD barely three months and Clint has already decided that returning to his tiny rat hole of an apartment to find a truly terrifying man in an eye patch and a long leather coat waiting was the best thing that ever happened to him. He's eating regularly--food that actually helps him start building up his muscle, which he's been struggling to do for years--training with top notch equipment and instructors who don't believe in beatings, and getting paid even though the trainers haven't certified him mission ready. 

The best part, though, is that Clint is actually making friends. Rick Anthony is in his training cohort. Jasper Sitwell is a lot more senior; he's not one of Clint's teachers, but he'd substituted for one of them once, and he doesn't treat Clint or Rick like rookies. It's the first time since the circus that Clint's been able to spend enough time with anyone to become friends.

They're at dinner together, laughing and groaning about the morning's run over the obstacle course, when Jasper catches sight of something and says, "Oh, thank God, someone dragged Phil out of his office. I swear, one day the man is going to starve to death over his paperwork."

Following Jasper's gaze, Clint spots Agent Coulson getting into line for food with another agent he doesn't recognize. Coulson did a short unit on improvised weaponry for Clint's combat class, and despite the neat, conventional appearance he projects, Clint's never met anyone more creative, or more quick-thinking. He's got a sweet, friendly face, which Clint would think a disadvantage in an agent, if he hadn't seen Coulson go stone cold badass on a recruit who thought that six inches in height and some military training trumped Coulson's skills. He'd been wrong.

"Who's Coulson actually seeing?" Clint asks despite himself. "Rumor has him shacking up with everyone from Bonnie in HR to Fury himself."

"You shouldn't gossip," Sitwell says. "Man's entitled to a personal life."

Clint turns back to his friend, startled. "I never said he wasn't. I just can't help but wonder who managed to land a guy like that."

Rick frowns. "Like what?"

Clint fights down a blush. "Smart, and creative, and capable. Jesus, you've seen him in class, I don't know anyone else who fights like that. And everyone at SHIELD knows you can trust him if shit's going on. And funny--I've gotten talking to him after class a couple of times, and that quick thinking makes for a pretty good wit, too."

Jasper's watching him with an odd little smile. "You stayed after class to chat?"

"Wanted to get to know him better," Clint muttered, feeling the tips of his ears heat.

"Sounds like you've got a bit of a crush, Clint," Rick teases.

"Oh, fuck off," Clint says, and throws a bread roll at Rick, who just laughs and dodges it. 

"He's single," Jasper says, still smiling.

Clint stops and turns back to Jasper. "Wait, seriously?"

"Seriously."

Clint stares at him. "How is that _possible?_ "

"No one has asked him out lately," Jasper said. "Maybe you should fix that. Before someone else gets to him first."

Clint knows that Jasper is teasing him, he really does...but the idea that someone might ask Coulson out before Clint gets the chance has him pushing back his chair anyway. He'd have done it already, except he thought no way was the guy single. Jasper starts laughing at him when he leaves the table, but Clint just flips him off and gets back into the food line so that he won't be weirdly empty handed when he approaches Coulson. He's already eaten, so he just gets a piece of pie.

Coulson is, thankfully, eating alone rather than with the agent who'd apparently dragged him out to eat. His attention is on his food, just sort of mechanically working his way through the tray, and Clint suspects his mind's really back in his office, so Clint says, "Excuse me," to get his attention when he pauses by Coulson's table.

Coulson looks up and smiles a little. "Agent Barton. What can I do for you?"

"Mind if I join you?" Clint asks, smiling back.

"Go ahead." Coulson pauses and waits for Clint to seat himself, "Is something wrong?"

"Nope." Clint takes a bite of his pie and sighs happily. "I know it's not the best pie in the world, but I swore once I was never going to take dessert for granted again."

"I can't criticize," Coulson says, eyes crinkling. "I have a terrible weakness for gas station desserts."

"Mmmm, sodium propionate and sorbic acid."

Coulson laughs, and it lights up his face. "But would you really want to eat those thing _without_ the preservatives?"

Clint grins. "Maybe not." He pauses, takes a breath, ducks his head for a moment and then looks back at Coulson. "Not knocking the gas station desserts, but...would you like to go out for a real dessert sometime? With me?"

Coulson's eyes widen. "You mean," he pauses and actually fiddles with his fork for a moment, "...like a date?" 

It is literally the most awkward Clint has ever seen the man. Clint bites his lip and hopes that that isn't a bad sign. "Yeah," he says. "We could even have a dinner course first, if you wanna be, you know, traditional."

"I'm a traditional kind of guy," Coulson says, almost shyly.

"That's a yes?" Clint asks because he really doesn't want to be unclear about this.

"That's a yes," Coulson confirms, and then breaks into a grin and ducks his head.

Clint takes another bite of his pie and grins.

Sweet.

~!~


End file.
